Around 3 years ago, my family and I moved from our home way out in northern Wake county that had a wonderful detached 24x32 workshop to a home in north Raleigh where I relegated all of my toyls to the basement. When we lived in Kansas City I had a basement shop, and it wasn't bad, but I had forgotten many of the pains associated with it. I do miss my 24x32 building, but that is niether here nor there...
The home we have is in need of updating. It was built in 1982, and I don't think the kitchen has been touched since that date. So, we are remodeling the kitchen. We have hired a contractor to handle what I thought was the bigger portions. Removal of a load bearing wall and installation of a beam. Removal of a window and closing in, and removal of a window and installing a sliding door. Refinishing the floors, and all the sheetrock, trim and paint.
My plans were to handle all of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The HVAC amounts to relocating 3 supply vents so no big deal. The plumbing amounts to relocating hot, cold, and drain for the kitchen sink.
The electrical I thought was going to be a breeze, but has since turned out to be a nightmare. It seems fairly obvious that whoever wired this house was a jack leg. I have never in my life seen so many junction boxes and home run cables in my life. I have 2 large panels absolutely full to the brim. I had thought in a previous undertaking that I could just pull the meter and kill the power, but that is not the case. The way the meter is set up is like an ammeter with one of those coils that wraps around it so I cannot kill the power.... I then have junction boxes with 6,7, or 8 cables going into it... Nightmare.... I will be running and cleaning up wire the rest of my life the way I am heading.... I digress...
Here is what our kitchen did look like. It is very dark. The floors are dark, the cabinets are dark. The previous owners did "splurge" and upgrade the countertops, but who cares. The sink doesn't work right, The cabinets are tiny.
No drawer slides, the soffits are a waste of space, I can go on and on.
The home we have is in need of updating. It was built in 1982, and I don't think the kitchen has been touched since that date. So, we are remodeling the kitchen. We have hired a contractor to handle what I thought was the bigger portions. Removal of a load bearing wall and installation of a beam. Removal of a window and closing in, and removal of a window and installing a sliding door. Refinishing the floors, and all the sheetrock, trim and paint.
My plans were to handle all of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The HVAC amounts to relocating 3 supply vents so no big deal. The plumbing amounts to relocating hot, cold, and drain for the kitchen sink.
The electrical I thought was going to be a breeze, but has since turned out to be a nightmare. It seems fairly obvious that whoever wired this house was a jack leg. I have never in my life seen so many junction boxes and home run cables in my life. I have 2 large panels absolutely full to the brim. I had thought in a previous undertaking that I could just pull the meter and kill the power, but that is not the case. The way the meter is set up is like an ammeter with one of those coils that wraps around it so I cannot kill the power.... I then have junction boxes with 6,7, or 8 cables going into it... Nightmare.... I will be running and cleaning up wire the rest of my life the way I am heading.... I digress...
Here is what our kitchen did look like. It is very dark. The floors are dark, the cabinets are dark. The previous owners did "splurge" and upgrade the countertops, but who cares. The sink doesn't work right, The cabinets are tiny.
No drawer slides, the soffits are a waste of space, I can go on and on.